Progressive display apparatus for visualizing manufacturing procedures



INVENTORS v2 PROGRESSIVE DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR VISUALIZING LOVSHIN ETALFiled Jan. 13, 1948 MANUFACTURING PROCEDURES June 20 Patented June 2Q,1950 PROGRESSIVE DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR VISUALIZING MANUFACTURING PROCE-DURES Frank A. Lovshin, Shelton, and Warner W. Bayley, Newtown, Cnn.,assignors to Sidney Blumenthal & 00., Inc., New York, N. 11', acorporation of New York Application January 13, 1948, Serial No. 2,108'

i This invention relates to a progressive display apparatus forvisualizing manufacturing proce- "dures; andhas for an objectto providemeans whereby a series of samples of a product at various stages of itsmanufacture are exhibited in such a way as to simulate to an observerprogressive changes in a single sample as it is subjected to thesuccessive steps leading to its finishing.

' Another object is to provide an apparatus that includes a plurality ofdisplay units through each *of which a single sample of a product ismoved, each sample representing a different stage in the course ofproducingthe product, the construction and arrangement'being such as tomake it appear that a single sample is being processed to completion. v

Another object is to provide such an apparatus in which there isassociated with each said unit a representation, preferably pictorial,of the machine or means which performs the manufacturing step thatcauses the change in the product displayed by the respective units.

p I Another object is to provide such an apparatus in which the saidunits are arranged in sequence with the representation of each saidmachine or processing mieanspreceding the display of the sampleexhibiting the result of the'step performed by said machine or means. 3Another object is to provide such an apparatus'in which a sample ismoved through each said unit by a traveling conveyor and which is soconstructed that each conveyor may be readily removed, another sampleattached thereto, and

then be replaced, whereby different manufacturing procedures may beexhibited by the same apparatus.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus 'in which theconstruction conceals each sample :resentations of machines or means forperforming manufacturing steps positioned intermediate each two adjacentbelts.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus which is so designed andconstructed that it may readily be dis-assembled for transportation and.re-assembled for display.

1 Another object is to provide such an apparatus which is simple inconstruction, of low manufacturing cost, and adapted for display withoutrequiring other than ordinary or usual surroundings or equipment.

the whole apparatus, taken in the plane of the 5 Claims. (CI. 35-52) Afurther object is to provide certain improvements in theform,construction, material and arrangement of the severalparts,'whereby the above named and other objects inherent in thestructure may be effectively attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of theapparatus;

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 represents a broken longitudinal central section, on an enlargedscale, taken in the plane of the line III-III of Fig. 2, looking towardthe rear-in'the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 represents a transverse section through line IVIV of Fig. ,3;looking in the direction 0! the arrows;' v Fig. 5 represents a similarsectiontaken in the plane of the lineV-V of Fig.3, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 6 represents a horizontal detail section taken in the plane of theline VI--VI of Fig. 3,

looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. '7 represents a detail transverse section on a still larger scale,taken in the same plane as Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 represents a detail side elevation, on substantially'the samescale as Fig. 7, of means for maintaining the belt taut; and

Fig. 9 represents a broken horizontal section taken in the plane of theline IX-IX of Fig. 8,

. looking'in the direction of the arrows.

facture and thus more vividly and accurately reproduce the actual millor factory procedure. In other words, the observer sees the raw orcomparatively raw material enter the apparatus at one end and sees thefinished, or comparatively finished, product exit at the other end,while continuously witnessing the changes in the product wrought by thesuccessive manufacturing steps to which it is subject; the effect beingthe same, or substantially the same, as watching the manufacturingprocedure itself.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawing, the apparatus includes a housing consisting of two sectionsdenoted generally by l and 2; and having fronts 3, 4, backs 5, 6,bottoms 1, 8 and ends 9, ID. The said parts may be composed of anysuitable material, such as plywood, and be secured together by anyappropriate means such, for instance, as screws, some of which areshowir in Fig. l and marked H. When the apparatus is set up foroperation the said sections areplaced end to end as well shown in Fig.-1, where the line of abutment is denoted by l2.

Each section I, 2, houses-a plurality of display units, four in thepresent instance, and asithe' units are all alike and mounted in thesame-way,

it is deemed sufficient to describe only one, selecting for this purposethat at the right end of Fig. 3, The unit includes a framework having anoblong supporting member [3 and an uprising member l4, l5, located ateach end thereof.

These parts may be composed of any suitable material, such aswood, andbefastenedtogether, as by screws, not shown; The'said supporting member13 is fixed to the inside of housing back 6 by two angle brackets,preferably metallic, [5,

H, which are secured, as by screws 18 (seeFigs. iand 5), to the saidback'and by screws lfito the under surface of said member l3; while therear edge of member 13 is also attached to back 6 by screws 20, or thelike. A pair of L-shaped bearing hangers-2 l, 22, preferably composed ofmetal, have their short bent ends fastened, as-byscrews 23, to theunderside of member Itv at the side edges thereof and about intermediateits ends, while in the lower extremities of the "said hangers are formedbearings fitted to receive the trunnions 24, 25, of a belt roll 26.

Uprising member l4 carries a pairof 'bearing brackets 21, 28, which arepreferably metallic, and are suitably-secured thereto, as b'y screws notshown, so as to project laterally: outwardly from said member l4. Saidbrackets are provided with slots '29, 30, which receivebearing blocks3|, 32, andexpansion springs 33, 34, that normally urge the blocksoutwardly (see Figs. 8 and 9); while insaidblocks' arejournalled"thetrunnions 35, 36 of a second belt roll 31. Uprising member !5 carries asimilar pair-of bearing brackets 38, 3B, which, however; are notprovided with slots; springs or bearing-blocks, but themselves serve asjournals for'the trunnions 48, 4 I, of a third belt roll 42.

Mounted on and near oneend of each of the bottoms 1, 8,"of housingsections! 2, is an electric motor, one of which isshown in Fig. 3 andmarked 43. The motor shafts have sprockets 44 fixed thereto and similarsprockets 45 'are' fixed to belt r011 26 and allthe othercorresponding'belt rolls. Chains 46, 41, connect the said motorsand'roll' sprockets so that activation of the two motors will rotate allthe said belt rolls. Endless belts 48, which maybe composed of leather,rubber, fabric, etc., pass-around the three rolls of each display unit,e. g. rolls 26, 31,142; and the springs 33, 34, with their counterparts,serve to keep the belts taut to prevent slippage, which latter resultmay also be obtained by." surfacing the belt rollswith non-slippingmaterial such, for instancaas rubber. Thus, actuation of the motors'androtation of therolls to which each is connected by the driving chains,will impart travel to the belts sothatthey move-in unison.

A series of auxiliary housings, denoted generally by 49, aremountediontop'of the main'housing body portion, each auxiliaryhousingbeing designed to cover and conceal two adjacent upper belt rollsof contiguous display units, as is well shown in Fig. 3. These auxiliaryhousings are similar and each includes a dome-like portion 50, a front5| and a back 52. The fronts and backs extend downwardly along the endsof uprising portions [4, l5, of adjoining display units, to which theymay be secured by screws, or the like (not shown), and abut the topedges of the fronts 3, 4, and backs 5, 6, of the sections 1, 2, of themain housing body portion; while the lower edges of the sides of thedome-like portions are fitted to rest on the front and rear parts of thetop edges of said uprising portions l4, IE, but are centrally. cut awayto provide openings 53, which permit the belts -48 to traveltherethrough.

Thefront of each auxiliary housing is provided with a window 54 for thepurpose of presenting to .an observer symbols denoting a series ofprogressive steps in a manufacturing procedure such, for instance, astransparent'photographs of machines that perform the several steps. Withparticular reference to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the window isformed with an internal-peripheral flange 55 and a face frame 55, whichlatter is screwed or otherwise suitably fastened to the'front of theauxiliaryhousing. Intermediate the said flange and frame are positioneda sheet of frosted glass 51, a sheet of clear glass 58, and atransparent photograph 59 that is pref-'- erably colored. Thearrangement is such that the frosted glass is toward the inside, theclear glass toward the outside, and the photograph between the twoglasses. The frosted glass-serves to diffuse the light and provide moreuniform illumination. The photograph may be changed when desired byremovingthe frame or, if preferred, removable fastening elements, suchas ordinary picture frame pins, may be. substituted for the flange 55.-In order to supply illumination for the photograph, a pair of electriclight bulbs 60, 6!, of any appropriate'kind and power, are fixed bybrackets 62, 63, at theinside top and bottom of each window 54. The saidbulbs mayreceive-theirpower by suitable connections [not shown) with thesource of power for the motors, 43, e. g., awall outlet box, and,- ofcourse, switches of any approvedtype maybe provided for connectinganddisconnecting the power current with the motors and the-light bulbs.

Samples of material, denoted generally by 64, representing successivesteps in the manufacture of 'an article, are secured in-any propermanner to the belts 48, the arrangement and timing-being such thatpromptly after a sample disappears through an opening 53 into anauxiliary housing 49, another sample representing-the nextsuccessive-step in the production of the article emerges from theopposite opening-53 of the said auxiliary housing, and so on through theapparatus from one end to the other. Byway ofspecific illustration, theproduction of a mohair fabric may be visualized by placing inthe-successive windows 54 photographs of machines adapted to perform thesteps of securing, combing,- giliing, spinning, weaving, dyeing andfinishingpand" by securing to the successive belts 48,- samples showingthe rawmohair and the progressive changesin the same resulting from theproduction steps represented by the machines shown in the'photographs.Whenever it isdesired to change the exhibition, the fronts 3, 4, of themain housing body portion and the auxiliary housings 49 'may be removed,and other belts bearing other samples maybe substituted for the beltsthen in the apparatus, or, if preferred, different samples may besecured to the same belts. I

For the purpose of concealing the upper belt rolls located at theextreme" ends of the apparatus, boxes 65, 66, are fixed, as by screws orthe like, not shown, to the front 3, 4, back 5, B, and ends 9, ll], ofthe main housing body portion; the said boxes being so shaped as toleave openings 61, 68 and 69, ID, for belt passage therethrough. I

We have found it desirable to provide guides for the reaches of thechains 46, 41, intermediate the sprockets and several such guides areshown in Figs. 8 and 6. .All the guides are alike, each consisting ofa'plate ll secured to the back 5 or B,'as the case may be, of thehousing sections l, 2, by a screw 12 that pierces the central portion ofthe plate. A pair of rollers 13, 14, are rotatably mounted on studs 15,1B, which project from the plate 1 I, and each guide is so positionedthat each roller 13 contacts an upper reach of a chain and each roller14 contacts a lower reach. The said rollers are preferably spaced aparta distance less than the diameter of the sprockets 44, Y45, and, 'byloosening the screw 12 and swinging the plate H in a rotary directionaround the screw, the effective length of the chain contacted by therollers may be slightly varied in order to maintain perfect meshing ofthe chain links with the sprocket teeth. 3 Inoperation, the selectedsamples are secured to the belts in the proper order and in the properpositions for sequential appearance between the auxiliary housings, theappropriate photographs are placed in the windows of the auxiliaryhousings, and current is supplied to the electric light bulbs and to themotors. As the belts travel their several endless paths, samplesexhibiting progressive stages in the production of the selected articleappear successively on the belts between the sequence of auxiliaryhousings, the effect upon the eyes of an observer being that of a singlesample entering at one end of the apparatus as raw material and leavingat the other end of the apparatus as a finished product. If preferred,only a chosen number of manufacturing stages may be shown instead of thecomplete procedure from raw material to finished product. We have founda belt speed of about one inch per second to be satisfactory, and itwill be clear that the motors can be run at different speeds, beprovided with gear reduction, and be reversed, all at the choice of themanufacturer.

The form of the invention shown in the drawing is suited to display ofthe textile manufacture above described, and we have found itsatisfactory to build the apparatus about twelve feet long (two six footsections) and in about the relative proportions shown. A greater orlesser number of display units and auxiliary housings with theirphotographs may, of course, be provided to suit the desires of the useror the requirements of various purposes, and the invention is notlimited to the textile field, but may be employed to exhibit variousother procedures, e. g., in the fields of printing and chemistry.

While we have, in the foregoing description and in the drawing, referredto and shown the samples 64 as occupying but a portion of each belt 48and as being positioned thereon so as to have the desired effect, it isquite feasible, and sometimes desirable, to provide each belt with a.

plurality of pieces of material, or a single piece, sufiicient to coverthe wholel'ength of the belt. For instance, a fabric weaving step maywell be represented by fixing to the whole length of a canvas belt asubstantial number of loops of spun yarn, and fixing to the whole lengthof the succeeding belt a strip of raw woven cloth or using an endlessstrip of raw woven cloth as the said belt itself. Hence, when we use thewords sample or samples we intend that their meaning shall be construedbroadly so as to include more than a single or a set of single pieces ofmaterial, and, indeed,,to cover any appropriate amount or arrangement ofmaterial on the belts.

It will be understood thatvarious changes may be made in the form,construction,arrangement and material of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention; and hence we do notintend'to be limited to details herein shown or described except as theymay be included in the claims or be required by disclosures of the priorart.

What we claim is:

1. Display apparatus for progressively visualizing manufacturingprocedures comprising, a housing having a body portion and a series ofspaced auxiliary housings mounted along the top thereof, a series ofgroups of belt rolls each group being positioned partly in the said bodyportion and partly in a said auxiliary housing, endless belts passingaround said rolls with a portion of each belt extending between adjacentauxiliary housings and exposed to view, and driving means for said rollsto cause the belts to move in unison.

2. Display apparatus for progressively visualizing manufacturingprocedures comprising, a housing having a body portion and a series ofspaced auxiliary housings mounted along the top thereof, a series ofgroups of belt rolls each group being positioned partly in the said bodyportion and partly in a said auxiliary housing, endless belts passingaround said rolls with a portion of each belt extending between adjacentauxiliary housings and exposed to view, and driving means for said rollsto cause the belts to move in unison, said driving means being locatedin said body portion of the housing and engaging the rolls positionedtherein.

3. Display apparatus for progressively visualizing manufacturingprocedures comprising, a housing having a body portion and a series ofspaced auxiliary housings mounted along the top thereof, a series ofgroups of belt rolls positioned partly in the said body portion andpartly in said auxiliary housings, endless belts passing around saidrolls with only that portion of each belt extending between theauxiliary housings exposed to view, and driving means for said rolls tocause the belts to move in unison, said auxiliary housings bearingsymbols denoting different steps in a manufacturing procedure.

4. Display apparatus for progressively visualizing manufacturingprocedures comprising, a housing having a body portion including a back,a series of sequentially arranged display units, each said unitembodying a supporting member, bearing hangers depending from saidsupporting member, a belt roll journaled in said hangers,

an uprising member at each end of said supporting member, a pair ofbearing brackets carried by each said uprising member, a belt rolljournaled in each said pair of brackets, an endless belt passing aroundsaid rolls, means fastening each said display unit to the back of saidhousing body portions to mount said units 1 inv said body portionwithsriduprising members and the rolls carried thereby-extending abovesaid body 'portion; a series of'auxiliary housings mounted on saidhousing body portion, each said auxiliary housing concealing the beltroll carried by one uprising memberbf a display unit and the belt rollcarried by the adjacent uprising member of the-next display unit, andmeans located in said housing .body portion engaging the rollsjournaledin said-hangers-fordriving said rolls and causing the belts totravel.

5. Display apparatus for progressively visualizing manufacturingprocedures comprising, a housing having. a body portion including aback, a series of sequentially arranged display units, each saidunit'embodying asupporting member, bearing hangers depending from saidsupporting member, a belt roll journaled in said hangers, an uprisingmember at each end of said supporting. member, a pair of bearingbrackets carried by each 'said uprising member, a belt roll journaled ineach said pair of brackets, an endless belt passing around said rolls,means fastening each said display unit to the back of said housing body.portion to mount said units in said body portion with said uprisingmembers and the rolls carried thereby extending above said bodyportionga seriesof auxiliary housings mounted on said housingbody'portion, each said auxiliary housing concealing the belt r011 carried byone uprising member of a display unit and the belt roll carried by theadjacent uprising member of the next display-unit, and means'located insaid housing body portion engaging the-rolls journaled in said hangersfordriving saidrollse-and causing the belts to travel,- said auxiliaryhousings being fitted to bear symbols denoting different steps in amanufacturing procedure, whereby samples representing difierent stagesinthe production of an article may be secured to said belts, symbolsrepresenting corresponding manufacturing steps may be attached to saidauxiliary housings, and actuation of the belt driving means will causeapparatus to present to an observer-the efiect of a single sample beingsubjected to the successive steps in its manufacture.

FRANK A. LOVSI-IIN.

WARNER'W. BAYLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The "following references are of recordin' the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain J6,1897

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